‘Our little angel’: Boy killed in SLO County hit-and-run died a hero, family says
José Gutiérrez died a hero.
The last thing the 4-foot-tall sixth-grader said to his two friends who were walking next to him was “look out!” before a truck that came barreling off El Camino Real hit and killed him.
As heartbreaking as it was, however, it wasn’t surprising.
That was his character, his mother Maria Orozco said of her son in an interview with The Tribune at the family’s apartment on Thursday.
“He was a very good, very noble boy who liked to help others and always helped his friends in whatever way he could,” Orozco said in Spanish, her voice cracking through tears. “If others didn’t have something, he would go and give it to them.”
It’s been one week since her 11-year-old son was killed in a hit-and-run less than 100 yards away from their home as he walked home from school — something he’d done every day since beginning Atascadero Middle School in August.
The suspected driver, 31-year-old Zachary Bernal, was charged with felony vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and felony hit-and-run resulting in death. He pleaded not guilty to the crimes on Wednesday in an emotional court hearing attended by many of José’s family members.
The loss has been unimaginable, Orozco said.
“It’s very sad, devastating, to know that I no longer have him here, to know that he was coming home from school — was going to come home — and he didn’t,” she said. “This week has been very difficult.”
Family grapples with loss of child
In addition to the large memorial on El Camino Real, another has grown inside her living room. Dozens of flower bouquets, spiritual candles known as “veladoras” and photos of José surround an altar. Four toy cars from his friends were lined up next to a stack of Ritz crackers placed by his younger cousins.
Crackers were one of his favorite snacks — along with Takis and shrimp Cup Noodles, his aunt Teresa Gutiérrez said.
José used to lie on top of his mother and tell her what he wanted to be when he grew up — a memory she recalled as her favorite.
His dream was as noble as the short life he lived: Becoming a police officer or joining the army.
She said he was the best big brother to Luis, her 6-year-old son, who’s too young to fully understand what has happened.
Throughout the interview, Luis wiped his mother’s tears from her cheeks and gave her hugs as she spoke.
José’s father, Francisco Gutiérrez, sat beside them, trying to make sense of the tragedy.
“It’s a hard time, I know. But I have to be strong for my wife and my other kid,” he said. “We stick together. I know our little angel, he’s gonna help us with Jesus Christ.”
One of José’s favorite hobbies was playing soccer, his mother said.
He was a defender for the Panthers, a local youth team, José’s father added, pointing to a medal displayed on the altar from one of his games.
He loved stealing the ball from the other team and looked up to professional soccer players Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
At his memorial on El Camino Real, one of his friends placed a soccer ball scrawled with the words: “Can’t believe last time we played was with this ball.”
The memorials — both at the scene of the crash and in their home — are not only reminders of their son’s life, but also of the community that has supported them throughout the tragedy.
“We are very touched to know he was very loved by all of his friends and many people,” Orozco said.
Their gratitude not only extends to the community in Atascadero, but to their family and friends in Mexico, who have been supporting from afar.
“We’re not even there yet, but Mexico is waiting for us with open arms,” his grandmother, Cecelia Contreras, said in Spanish. “To all the friends, family and people in the community who have helped us, God will give you strength, health and happiness.”
Orozco echoed that sentiment.
“We feel very touched and grateful to everyone because it is support we did not imagine we were going to have,” she added.
The Gutiérrez family said they hope the community can also extend support to their son’s best friend, who was walking with José and witnessed the tragedy. The two were inseparable, always playing soccer or goofing around with one another.
The boy is struggling to understand what he saw, while coping with the loss of his friend.
Orozco wants José’s friends and classmates to remember her son for the happy, helpful boy he was, and to not be afraid to go to school because of what happened to him.
Mother reflects on seeing suspect in courtroom
During the interview on Thursday, Orozco also reflected on what it was like seeing the man accused of José’s death in court for the first time this week.
As soon as Bernal entered the courtroom on Wednesday, Orozco cried out, sobbing at the sight of her son’s alleged killer.
“There were many feelings, emotions, knowing the person in front of us did not stop for José,” she said, pausing as she cried. “Because of him, José didn’t come home. I saw him and said, because of him, because of his actions, or whatever it was, José is no longer with us.”
She did have something she wished to tell Bernal directly.
“To the person that did this, you left a mother without her son and destroyed her life. If one day you face God, I hope God can forgive you,” she said.
For now, however, she said it’s difficult for her and her family to give him that same grace.
The family hopes for justice for their son.
Maria Contreras, Francisco’s aunt, said the family has received racist comments and messages from people because their family is Mexican.
José was an American citizen, his father said, but that shouldn’t matter. He was a life taken too soon.
“I’ve read many comments that say that because (Bernal) is white, they’re not going to do much justice,” Teresa Gutiérrez, Francisco’s sister, told the Tribune. “I want justice to be done.”
In the meantime, the family will wait for the coroner to release José’s body so that it can be transported to Mexico for his memorial service.
Then, they will take life day by day, learning to live in the new reality without their eldest son.
This story was originally published March 21, 2025 at 11:14 AM.
